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A.
THE NAME TRICHUR ALIAS THRISSUR:-

The word 'Trichur' is the anglicized form of the Malayalam
name of the town 'Thri-Siva-Perur', meaning the town of Lord
Siva. The name is appropriate, for Trichur derives its main
glory from Vadakunnathan Temple, (Vadakunnathan, Lord of the
North, is a name of Siva) that dominates the topography of the
town.

B. ANTIQUITY AND
HISTORY:-

Trichur is of hoary fame, and the origin of Vadakkunnathan
Temple is ascribed to Parasurama, the legendary hero who is said to
have reclaimed Kerala from the sea by a miraculous feat. In
historical times it was a suburb of Musiris (present Cranganore) the
capital of the ancient Chera Empire, an international Emporium where
most of the ancient trading nationals of the world had their
settlements. From very early times Trichurhas been a centre of
learning and,with the decline

of Buddism and Jainism and the establishment of
the supremacy of Brahminism during the revival of Hinduisum, Trichur
became an important centre of Sanskrit learning. The great Sankara
Acharya had taught Advaita here. After his travels in different regions
of India he is believed to have come back and settled in Trichur and
died here. Sankara Acharya's disciples Hastamalaka, Thotaka. Padmapada
and Sudhachara established in the town four Madhams, namely the Northern
Madham, the Middle Madham, the ln-Between Madham and the Southern Madham
respectively, all of which are extant except the In-Between one.

The cultural fare of Trichur is not
confined to the sophisticated tastes of lovers of fine arts and
literature, but caters to popular tastes too. The most important
annual event of Trichur, pooram, held in April-May, attracts
pilgrims and sight-seers from all over South India, and even from
North India and abroad. In the parade of tuskers, in traditional
music, in the display of parasols, in its variegated fireworks, in
its pageant generally Trichur pooram is the most colourful festival
of Kerala. The festival was instituted by Sakthan Thampuran, and is
something of a divine durbar. The various temples are grouped under
the two leading shrines, Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu, and the
elephant processions with blaring trumpets and the resounding notes
of the Chenda (Kerala drum) begin the march to Vadakkunnathan from
morning onwards.

The leading elephant of each procession bears
the image of the deity of the particular temple from which the
procession starts. By about 3 p. m. all the processions reach the
Vadakunn- athan Temple, where the Durbar of gods and goddesses is held
in grand style. The temple grounds are filled with milling crowds, and
one by one the gorgeously caparisoned tuskers emerge from the Southern
Gopuram with their riders as the crowds cheer. Fifteen elephants of one
group now stand facting the Gopuram, awaiting their compeers who too
emerge in single file and spread out facing the first row. A grand
display of parasols of variegated hues to the accompaniment of waving of
yak-tail and peacock fans, now takes place, each group frequently
changing their parasols. The rays of the evening Sun turn the brilliant
trappings of elephants, the rainbow hues of the parasols and the white
and blue of the waving fans into a riot of colour. The display goes on
till about sunset to the applause of the surving crowds. For systematic
organisation, Pageantry, for the selection of tuskers and colourful
gaiety, there is hardly any festival in India to rival pooram. The night
is enlivened by the display of fire works for which Trichur has been
famous for centuries, and it lasts till dawn.

An all-India Exhibition is held at the temple grounds for about a month,
during the pooram season. In the political convulsion that rent Kerala
after the disruption of the Second Chera Empire, Trichur too, like many
cities and towns of Kerala, suffered a set back. Things had come to such
a pass that Vadakkunnathan Temple itself was neglected and a teak forest
grew around it. It is interesting to note that the present extensive
temple ground, about 63 acres in area, is even now called Thekinkad
(Teak Forest). the by-gone glory of the town was revived by Sakthan
Thampuran, the enlightened Maharajah of Cochin (1790-1805), This was the
time when the struggle for empire by the European powers and their
incessant wars for the supremacy of Kerala coast made the traditional
residence of the Cochin rulers at Thripunithura, near Cochin, unsafe,
and Sakthan Thampuran decided to shift his residence to Trichur because
of its salubrious climate and comparative safety from the depredations
of the naval powers of the West. He had the teak forest cleared, revived
the cultural traditions of the town, and built it up as a commercial
centre too. It was, in fact, Sakthan Thampuran who settled several
Syrian Christian families in the town from their business centres in
adjoining areas, and these astute business men with their traditional
flair for trade soon built up Trichur into the most flourishing centre
of internal trade in Kerala. Their financial acumen has been mainly
responsible for founding and building up the Kuri system of financing
which has now become an all-India institution, and for making Trichur
the most important banking centre in Kerala. The town is also famous for
its gold and jewellery business. The contribution of Christians for
making Trichur, the Cultural Capital of Kerala is not little

The demographic set up of the town
provides a fine example of peaceful co-existence of different
communities. Their shrines and places of worship deserve some mention.
The most imposing of these is the Vadakkunnathan Temple, with its four
stately Gopurams at the cardinal points, and the extensive temple
grounds around. Like most of the temple cities of the South, the main
streets and business houses are located around the temple grounds. The
temple ground is the Lung of the own, the resort of citizens in the
evenings particularly in the dry season. The Municipal Nehru Gardens and
the Children's Park situated near the eastern Gopuram, provide an added
attraction for evening strollers.
Besides the Vadakkunnathan Temple there are numerous temples in Trichur,
large and small, most of them dedicated to the ancient mother-goddesses
of the land.
Of the churches, the most impressive is the basilica of Our Lady of
Dolours. Built in fine Indo-Gothic style, it has soaring belfries at the
entrance, double storeyed aisles all along the nave and transepts, and
eleven altars, five on either side of the main one. It is the largest
church in India and its exuberant interior decorations include fine
specimens of murals, images of saints and scenes from the scriptures.
The constuction of this biggest church in India was done in different
phases. Under the leadership of the famous architect Jnanaprakasam from
Madras, the church construction started in the year 1929. The church was
consecrated by its founder Mar Francis Vazhappilly in the year 1940. The
two front towers of 146 ft height each and the beautiful main altar of
Our Lady of Dolours were constructed in the year 1995. It is hoped that
the construction of the third tower - the tallest in Kerala - will be
over by 2004. This Church is one of the main tourist attractions of
Trichur.

The 'Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral is also a beautiful and big Church,
the Centenary of which was celebrated during the historic visit of Pope
John Paul II to Trichur in 1986. The well decorated underground chapel
of the Cathedral is a big attraction.

The Marth Mariyam Church, constructed in the year 1814, is the first
church of Trichur town. At present it is the Cathedral of the
Metropolitan of the Church of the East.

The Muslims too were settled in Trichur by Sakthan Thampuran, a monarch
noted for his liberal religious views, but their present numerical
strength is not considerable. They have, however, five mosques in
Trichur Municipal area.

Perhaps nowhere else in India do communities live in such amity and good
will as in Trichur. All communities participate in temple and church
festivals, and the popular gaiety is shared by all alike.

Trichur has a spacious stadium, and football and hockey tournaments are
popular annual events. Two major indoor stadia exist for Badminton,
Volley Ball, Basket Ball. etc. for convenience of tournaments during
rainy weather and at night. The stadium built in the extensive grounds
where Tippu's army camped, has a slab erected at the site commemorating
the Mysore Sultan's invasion. Near the stadium is Sakthan Thampuran's
old palace with masonry gateways; these are protected monuments. Close
by is the modern Regional Theatre which also houses the Sangeetha Nataka
Akademi. Adjoining the Theatre is Rama Nilayam, a stately edifice built
in pure Kerala architectural style, now a tourist home but formerly the
Residence of the Political Agents of the British period. Close by is the
spacious Town Hall in the front portion of which is the Public Library
and Reading Room. Next to the Town Hall is the office of Kerala Sahitya
Akademi, the most important literary institution of Kerala. There are
two aquatic complexes also in the corporation area.

With the regional offices of Lalitha Kala Akademi, Sangeetha Nataka
Akademi and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi located here, and the Kala
Mandalam, founded by Poet Vallathol and now a famous International
Centre for the study and exposition of the classical arts of Kerala,
situated not far from the town, Trichur is, in every sense, the cultural
capital of Kerala. Of the major tourist attractions of Trichur are the
Zoo, and the Museum with an archeological section. The snake house is
particularly rich in reptiles, and practically all varieties of snakes
of Kerala, poisonous and non-poisonous can be seen here. The exhibits in
the Archeological Museum include rare ancient Roman gold coins from
hoards found in Kerala, and copies of murals from various churches of
Kerala and the Mattanchery palace.

Peechi Dam, constructed for irrigation and for supplying water to the
town, is a Tourist's Paradise situated in the hills, fourteen miles to
the south east of the town. The entire area is richly endowed by nature
and man. On the south bank of the dam rises an observation tower which
commands a panoramic view of the surrounding hills, valleys and lakes,
on the north is the Government Rest House providing accommodation and
meals for visitors. Fountains and flower beds grace the terraced slopes
of the hillside, and the valley below. A tour to this beautiful site is
a rewarding experience for visitors to Trichur. Boat rides in the lake
are arranged by the Engineering Department at the site.

In keeping with the tradition of the
Trichur District, the Archdiocese of Trichur also has a large number
of monuments and historical sites having great creations of art and
architecture. Arnos Pathiri the well known German missionary and
scholar stayed in Veloor and Pazhuvil in this Archdiocese. It is
believed that he played a major role in the construction of the
churches at these places and also at Ollur.

These churches are today treasure houses of Kerala's
wealth of wood carvings, granite sculptures, mural paintings, metal
work etc. There are also a large number of other churches here which
are well known for their antiquity and abundance of artistic
artifacts.
Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral is one of the most frequented tourist
attractions of the area. The underground church there is a
masterpiece of architectural designing.

The Dolours Basilica of Trichur is considered the biggest church in
the whole of Asia and is constructed in the classic tradition of the
Gothic.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours, Trichur (The Biggest Church in
India)

The third tower is inaugurated on 11th January, 2004.

Contribution in Commerce

Sakthan Thampuran, the King of the former Kochi
Rajyam brought a few Christian families from the surrounding places to
Trichur around the year 1794 with the purpose of developing it to a
town. The Trichur Rice Bazaar and the adjoining places are famous in
this regard. The contribution of Christians for the growth of the town
as a commercial and cultural center is not little. Banks, Chitties,
Jewelleries, Rice Shops, etc. are famous in Trichur